The Cost of Faithfulness
by Sara K M
Summary: Queen Marikah doesn't agree with her husband's decision to invite the Eld to Celieria, but she eventually decides to have faith in her husband's idea. But what is the cost of her faith? Written for the WA Flower Language Challenge and Winner of an Honorable Mention.


The Cost of Faithfulness

**Disclaimer: I don't own the **_**Tairen Soul Series.**_

**In case any of you have read "The Ice Princess with the Warm Heart" are confused, this Dorian the ancestor of that one. He is Dorian I. Dorian who married Annoura is Dorian X.**

"You cannot mean that," Queen Marikah stared at her husband, King Dorian. "The Eld cannot stand in the same room as us, much less be welcomed as guests at our palace!" She glanced around; the place that had been her home for twenty years suddenly seemed so fragile. The walls were made of wood, rather than white stone like the palace of the Fey. There was too much glass, between the windows and several furniture made of glassware. Even the stone fireplaces would be no match for the Eld's evil, corrupting magic.

Dorian's face turned harder, much like the rocks that could be found in the palace courtyard. "Yes, I do mean that. I know you Fey are taught to be prejudice against the Eld, but here in Celieria, I need to be more pragmatic. They have sent a letter, asking to absolve the friction between our two peoples, and I have decided to accept."

Marikah's heart beat faster and faster as she tried to understand her husband's naivety. "And you truly think the Celierian Royal Palace is the best place to test that? Especially considering how many people we care about live here as well?" Even more important than the palace itself, their son, Dori, also lived here, as well as all the servants that cared for the Celierian Royal Family.

Gasping, she pictured all of them killed by the Eld faster than she, a powerful Fey she'dalin, could heal them. Or worse, serving as puppets for the Eld when they used their magic to bind the Celierians' souls to the Elden mages. Worst of all was what the Eld might do to her mortal husband.

"Yes, I do," Dorian said. "The palace is the perfect place to show that what happened in the past is no longer important. It's a show of good faith on our part."

"No, Dorian, it's a show of foolishness on your part," Marikah said, shaking her head so fast that strands of her black hair became loose. "The Demon Wars were a perfect example of what the Eld are capable of, and you know it." She'd been raised on reading the history of that war, and it taught her how terrible the Eld were, how difficult it been for the mortals and even the Fey to defeat them, and how the she'dalins' hearts broke every time they were unable to heal someone the Eld had killed.

"Marikah, as I have just said, that is in the past." His face resembled the hardest rocks in existence. "The Eld haven't attacked anyone in Celieria or even in the Fading Lands in over two thousand years! It's time to forgive them and accept that this new generation doesn't wish us ill."

"You stubborn fool!" she shouted, shocked by her own vehemence. Marikah was a sweet woman who rarely lost her temper, and had never raised her voice in the palace, for fear the servants may overhear their private conversations. But this was too vital for her to remain calm. "Even when they appear like friends, the Eld are all the same. They always wish us ill."

Glancing around to see if his wife invited any eavesdroppers, Dorian stared at her, his face as hard as ever. "Keep your voice down, please. And think about this as my wife and queen who I know accepts the ways of Celieria, where we get to know people before we judge them. Not as a narrow – minded Fey who can never consider listening to the Eld."

Feeling the fierce power of her tairen ancestors inside her, Marikah hissed just as the large, magical cats would. "But I am a Fey!"

"Yes, but you are also my wife," Dorian said. "And I need you to have some faith in me. Especially for this."

"That's impossible!" said Marikah, still shaking her head. How could her foolish husband not see how dangerous it was to allow the Eld in Celieria, let alone the royal palace? He was lucky her instincts weren't as strong as the tairen souls, or his face could have been clawed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Naturally, gentle Queen Marikah would never claw her husband. Nevertheless, she avoided him for the next couple of days and refused to meet his eyes while they dined. It didn't matter that the servants gave her odd expressions or how many times Dori asked Marikah to speak to Dorian. "Mama, if you could just listen to him," he said one afternoon as they sat on the balcony together.

"No," Marikah said firmly. "Not if he still expects me to listen to him speak about the Eld." Just the idea of having them near her, much less near her family and her servants, sent chills right to her bones. Why couldn't Dorian have faith in _her_ and what she believed?

Staring out beyond the balcony, Marikah looked at the mortal city she'd called home for more than twenty years. She saw tiny little homes and where the Celierians lived. She saw a few shops where some men were able to do business. Taller than all of the other buildings was the Cathedral of Light, whose tower was almost as big as that of the Celierian Palace. In the distance was the harbor and the merchant ships that offered to trade with Dorian's kingdom.

Was it all worth it if Dorian didn't trust her ideas about the Eld? What was the cost of her faithfulness in him?

Sighing, she looked closer to the foot of the palace, at the royal gardens. Lush greens decorated the area and Marikah knew if she were closer, she would see countless trees, bushes and beautiful flowers that smelled sweeter than anything. Perhaps they would raise her spirits and warm her bones. Yes, she decided. It was time for a visit to the gardens.

OOOOOOOOOOO

The calming scent of well – cared for trees and beautiful flowers surrounded Marikah as she strolled through the garden. The soft aromas of roses, carnations, and tulips of all colors tickled her nose, and she felt her anger lessen. The amarynth that sprinkled around the entire garden caused Marikah to smile a bit. After all, those blossoms appeared when a Fey woman became pregnant. They were legacies of the son she'd bore, even though he was now a young man.

Pausing, her mind briefly wandered to Dori. Was he safe from the Eld, if Dorian allowed them to come here? As half – Fey, her son possessed considerable magic of his own, but was it enough to defeat the corruptive Eld? Despite the calming scents, Marikah tensed again. How could Dorian possibly think the Eld coming to Celieria, to their royal palace, was a good idea?

The Eld were incapable of change. Couldn't Dorian trust her on that?

Then her eyes landed on a bright yellow flower with large petals. It was her favorite flower in all the garden. The bird of paradise. The large exotic blossom had been brought to Dorian by one of his best merchants from a far – off – land. Her husband had given it to her on their wedding day

"_This flower is rare and special," Dorian told her, handing her one of the tallest plants she'd ever seen. Its leaves even grew over her head. "It's called the bird of paradise. It's the only one of its kind in Celieria and all her surrounding kingdoms." Indeed, Marikah had never seen a blossom like this one, in the Fading Lands or even in Elvira. She stared up at in fascination, as Dorian continued, "It reminds me of you." _

_Marikah looked from the flower to Dorian, and back to the flower again, trying to understand his reasoning. Certainly, her kind was uncommon in Celieria, but Fey weren't as rare as this exotic flower._

"_I know Fey are more common than this flower, but you are rare and special, Marikah," Dorian insisted. "Even though we haven't spoken of it, you've made a huge sacrifice in marrying a mortal like me, even if he is a king." _

A buzzing in her ear brought Marikah out of her daydream. She watched as the bee landed on one of the nearby flowers. Studying the bright yellow blossoms, she remembered her family's reaction to Dorian. They had thought marrying him was too much of a sacrifice for Marikah, and he wasn't worth her faithfulness.

_Her parents protested that she should wait until she found her truemate as they did. Such a bond would allow each to feel the other's emotions and never worry about living without the other. This mortal she'd wished to marry, they said, was even worse, considering he would certainly die centuries before Marikah. Furthermore, the mortal would never be as devoted to her as she was to him, considering mortals' love always faded. Galen, her twin brother, meanwhile raged that the worthless mortal would be incapable of protecting her as her mate should._

"_Dorian isn't worthless," she said firmly, even though everyone in her family were already shaking their heads. "And don't call him 'the mortal.' You shouldn't judge him before you know him. He is far better and more loyal than most. He is also wonderful with a blade and perfectly capable of protecting me if necessary. He is better than any truemate that the gods could give me, or any Fey man you could find. The time I have with him will be worth it."_

Another bee flew past her, startling Marikah out of her thoughts again. She paused and focused her mind on the memory once again when Dorian had given her the bird of paradise.

_Marrying Dorian wasn't a loss for her, and she was determined to make her family, the rest of the Fey, and Dorian himself understood that. "Don't speak like that. I don't see our marriage as a sacrifice. I see it as a blessing, to be loved by you."_

"_As do I," said Dorian, giving her a kiss. "But you put a lot of faith in me when we married. I wish to prove your faith is worth your sacrifice. The bird of paradise is one of my most prized treasures, given to me by most trusted merchants. Now it is yours." He reached up and placed one of the blossoms in her hands._

_Sniffing it, a strange aroma flooded her senses. It smelled sweet and wild at the same time, and Marikah loved it. She was truly blessed to own such an exotic plant, especially considering it was a gift from Dorian. "I will have it planted in the Palace Gardens as soon as possible."_

With her fingers, Marikah reached up to touch the petals. In the past twenty years, Dorian had proven her faith in him was true. He was a wise king for the people of Celieria. He was a wonderful father to Dori, and most importantly she'd never had any reason to question his devotion to her. Even her parents had come to accept Dorian as a worthy mate for Marikah.

Worthy of her trust. Perhaps Marikah should have faith in him about the Eld, too? If he was correct about them, it would be great for Celieria. The Eld bordered Celieria, too, just like the Fading Lands did. Still, Marikah's heart beat faster again at the idea of the Eld in the palace. Sitting with her son, who was far too young to die, and her even more vulnerable, completely mortal husband. The Eld were seductive with their evil magic and could attack before even a Fey had time to respond. How many times had she been warned that as a child, growing up in the Fading Lands?

Studying the bird of paradise again, Marikah wished it could give her all the answers. But naturally, that was a foolish thought. This exotic plant didn't speak. Even the flowers in the magical Fading Lands didn't communicate.

But Fey did communicate with other Fey. Perhaps that's what Marikah needed to do. She needed to speak to her parents and her brother about Dorian's plans. "Mela, Gepa Dorian has decided to invite the Eld to our home. Should I support him?"

Immediately her mind drifted to the horrified looks her parents would give her. "Absolutely not! The Eld can never be trusted."

And Galen, who had never accepted Dorian as her mate, his response would be even worse. "That worthless mortal is even worse than I thought, putting you in certain danger by cozying up with the Eld!"

Marikah hated the way Galen always called her husband "the worthless mortal." Hadn't Dorian proven himself by now? Why couldn't her brother see the man Marikah loved instead of a just a mortal? Her brother's additude caused her to need to support Dorian even more.

Even the Eld? She wondered once again. The idea still scared Marikah, but the reality was, she always had faith in Dorian. He was a wonderful man, even if her family sometimes believed he was "just a mortal." They judged him before they knew him. Could Dorian be correct, that she and the other Fey did the same thing with the Eld?

Could this generation of Eld truly intend to make peace? The wind blew softly, and the overwhelming scent of the bird of paradise filled Marihak's nose. She had her answer. After all, that plant was a gift from Dorian on their wedding day, to show her his faith in her and in their relationship. Perhaps plants sometimes could communicate, with assistance from the gods.

Reaching up as high as she could, she plucked one of the yellow blossoms of the plant. "I need you to have some faith in me," Dorian had said a couple of days ago. This flower would show that she had the same faith in him that he had in her.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marching directly into his office, Marikah handed Dorian the bird of paradise. "I do have faith in you," she told him as she placed the yellow blossom on the center of his desk. "Just as you did in me when you gave me this plant, on our wedding day."

Dorian's eyes grew almost as large as a tairen as he looked from the flower, to Marikah, and back to the flower again. "Truly?" he asked, as if he was in awe of her words.

"Truly," she said, staring right into his brown eyes. She still feared the Eld, but she trusted Dorian more.

His fingers played with the petals for a few moments before reaching for her hand. His large, firm hand caused her to feel safe. "Thank you, Marikah. That means so much to me. Still, to settle any lingering fears, I have decided to ask your brother Galen, to visit as well. And perhaps the Fey king, Johr Feyreisen. Will their protection set your mind at ease?"

All the muscles in Marikah's body relaxed at this suggestion. Galen was noted as the Fey's deadliest blade. And Johr was not only a great fighter, but as a Tairen Soul, was also master of all five magics. Surely, if the Eld were to try any of their evil magic on home, her servants, or worst of all, her family, those powerful Fey would stop it?

She smiled at him. "That is a wonderful idea, Dorian." Pausing, she sighed. "I don't know if they would agree to come, though. Johr is much more suspicious of the Eld than I am, and Galen is even worse. And you know my brother has never been fond of you, either, husband."

Dorian chuckled at the memory of the last time he'd seen Marikah's brother. "No, he isn't. But he'll do anything to protect, you. And as for the others, I think you underestimate my diplomatic skills. I'm considered an expert at it, after all."

Naturally, he excelled at diplomacy, but convincing more than one Fey to meet with Eld would be truly magical. "You are welcome to ask. Either way, as I've said, I have faith in you. I promise to support you in the Eld visit." Marikah tried to ignore the pounding of her heart as she said that.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Dorian's diplomacy was magical. Somehow, he'd convinced the Fey king, the three other tairen souls in the Fading Lands, and Galen to attend a formal dinner with the Eld. How could Marikah have doubted her husband at all? Her faith in him was worth all these Fey and even a good relationship with the Eld.

Standing next to Dorian in her deep blue gown, pride and love shot through her once again as they greeted their guests as they entered the palace.

"Welcome to Celieria, Galen," Marikah smiled at her brother. His hair was as dark as hers and blended with his black leather clothing. He was dressed exactly as a Fey warrior should be with two swords tied to his hips carrying many daggers. Like the overprotective brother he was, his hand was already on one of his swords.

Galen nodded without smiling back.

"And Johr Feyreisen," she greeted the Fey king after her husband had already done so. The man's very presence radiated his power, from his height, to his own swords, and the cat – like eyes that stared at her, proving he was a Tairen Soul.

"Queen Marikah," the Fey king bowed his head slightly in greeting, acknowledging her sovereignty in Celieria.

"And thank you very much for coming as well, Rainer, Asssi, and Huush," she and Dorian said at the same time to the three other tairen souls. They all bowed at their waists to the king and queen of Celieria. The other tairen souls were just as powerful as Johr; they were all masters of all five magics and possessed the ability to transform into their magical animalistic ancestors, the tairen. But somehow, their power didn't seem as overwhelming as the Fey king's.

Marikah tensed along with the other Fey as Dorian greeted the Eld. The high mage stood in his black robe, while the two primages stood next to him in blue. Swords were also attached to their hips as if they were ready to kill at any moment.

"Welcome to Celieria," Dorian said much too warmly for her comfort. _The Eld haven't attacked for two thousand years_, Marikah reminded herself as the high mage smiled and nodded to her husband. And the Fey carried all the same weapons as the Eld.

"It is an honor to return to Celieria again," the Eld leader said, turning to Marikah, and then all the other Fey standing in the background. His voice gave her chills and his smile was much too friendly. She'd always been told Eld were the most manipulative creatures ever.

_No_, Marikah said to herself firmly as she thought of Dorian and the bird of paradise. She'd promised she would have faith in Dorian and his diplomacy. "Would you all like to enter the dining room?" she said, trying to sound as friendly as possible to all their guests.

Galen scowled at her and the other Fey still stared suspiciously at the Eld, but the pride and love in Dorian's eyes made it all worth it.

Marikah walked confidently next to her husband as all their guests followed.

The large dining table was perfectly set for this evening, with Dorian on one side and Marikah on the other. Johr, the Fey king, sat next to him on one side, while the Elden High Mage, sat on the other side. Galen placed himself next to Marikah, his hand still touching one of his swords, while one of the primages sat on her other side. In between sat the three extra Tairen Souls and the other primage.

Everyone stared at each other for several moments. Marikah's heart beat faster and faster as the Eld presence in her dining room. What might they try to do? Their swords were fastened to their hips and carried many daggers. The Eld also possessed vast types of evil magic. They could force someone to do anything the Eld wished and could summon demons from the underworld.

"We hope you will all enjoy the food our servants have prepared tonight," Dorian finally said, smiling brightly. "Our chef makes the best ham with blueberry sauce in the world." Despite herself, Marikah's mouth watered at the thought of that delicious meal. Her husband was correct; it was one of their chef's best dishes.

"Absolutely," she agreed, trying to smile at their guests, both Fey and Eld.

Suddenly Marikah felt herself unable to move. She couldn't lift her arm or even blink. It was as if her body had become a block of stone. Faster than she'd believed possible the evil high mage plunged one of his daggers into Dorian's ribs, shouting "For the revenge of Slistator!" Dorian's precious blood spilled from his chest, and his body fell onto the floor while the light disappeared from his eyes.

It was Marikah's worst nightmare come true.

Somehow the Elden magic froze all the Fey, from the Fey king and the other powerful tairen souls, to Galen and his deadly fighting skills, to Marikah, the love of Dorian's life and a gifted healer. Nevertheless, Marikah pushed against the magical restrain with all her love and all the magic she'd ever had in order to heal her husband.

He couldn't be dead. Not yet.

But before she could, a burning pain plunged into her chest as one of the Eld struck her with a dagger laced with their special material that singed Fey skin. Sel'dor. With every shallow breath she took, the dagger twisted and burned even more. It would almost be worth for her soul to disappear in order to stop this pain.

But Marikah still reached blindly to her husband as her body hit the floor. If this was the cost of faithfulness, she would pay it with her love. She would heal him before she died.

But before she could, Marikah's life faded, and her soul disappeared behind the veil.

**If any of you are familiar with the Tairen Soul series, you know that this is the event that begins the Mage Wars.**


End file.
